Obituaries

January 03, 2009

Longtime WHRO producer dies at age 62

Betty Luse, a longtime producer at local public radio affiliates WHRO and WHRV, died on Wednesday at age 62. Luse died of complications of diabetes and liver disease, said her friend and longtime colleague Bobbie Fisher, the station's director of communications. Her death followed the deaths of two popular on-air personalities, Taylor Green on Nov. 22 and Rollie Bristol on Dec. 3.

"It's just been a terrible time for us lately," Fisher said. She described Luse as "the most extraordinary human being I've ever met."

Luse worked at the station for more than 20 years and helped develop many of its most popular programs, including Cathy Lewis' "HearSay" show, on which Luse was the original producer in 1996.

She came to the station in 1987 as assistant to vice president Vianne Webb and was quickly promoted to associate producer. Luse was involved in the launch of the station's second frequency in 1991, which made it possible to present news and public affairs on WHRV 89.5 FM and classical music on WHRO 90.3 FM. She eventually served as program manager at WHRV. She was working as a grant administrator when she left the station in June 2006 for health reasons.

Luse, who lived in Hampton, was heavily involved in the station's promotions and fundraising efforts. Fisher said Luse was a talented musician and an operatically trained singer.

- Mike Holtzclaw, Daily Press

Prolific mystery writer died on New Year's Eve

NEW YORK - Donald Westlake, a prolific author considered one of the most successful and versatile mystery writers in the United States, has died. He was 75.

Westlake collapsed from an apparent heart attack as he headed to New Year's Eve dinner while vacationing in Mexico, his wife, Abigail, told the New York Times.

In a lengthy career that spanned a half-century, Westlake won three Edgar Awards, an Academy Award nomination for his screenplay "The Grifters" and the title of Grand Master from the Mystery Writers of America in 1993. His first novel, "The Mercenaries," was published by Random House in 1960.

Westlake wrote more than 90 books - mostly on a typewriter. Aside from his own name, he also used several pseudonyms, including Richard Stark, Tucker Coe, Samuel Holt and Edwin West.

"In the beginning, people didn't want to publish more than one book a year by the same author," Susan Richman, his publicist at Grand Central Publishing, told the Times.

Westlake continued to write until he died. His latest novel, "Get Real," is scheduled to be released in April 2009.

'Starsky and Hutch' actor dies at 80

Los Angeles - Actor Bernie Hamilton, who played the no-nonsense police captain on the 1970s TV series "Starsky and Hutch," has died. He was 80.

Hamilton died of cardiac arrest Tuesday night at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, said his son, Raoul Hamilton.

Born in Los Angeles in 1928, Hamilton ran away from home as a teenager and wound up staying in someone's garage and attending Oakland Technical High School, where he played football and got involved in acting.

Hamilton appeared in more than 20 films, including "The Young One," "The Devil at 4 O'Clock," "Synanon," "The Swimmer," "Walk the Walk" and "The Organization."